Gun for discharging granular material by air under pressure



C. P. FOWLER GUN FOR DISCHARGING GRANULAR MATERIAL BY AIR UNDER PRESSURE Filed Dec. 6, 1960 IN VEN TOR. C'Zarie s 7 7210/? 7'. BY W I 3 20 p AWE/s1 United States Patent 3,159,311 GUN FUR Elf/CHARGING GRANEJ'LAR MATERKAL BY AER UNDER PRESSURE Charles P. Fowler, Ilacnson, Mich, assignor to Walker Mmufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Filed Bee. 6, 1960, Ser. No. 74,689 2 Claims. (Cl. ZZZ-82) My invention relates generally to apparatus for injecting granular material into a container and, more particularly, refers to a device for feeding catalyst to catalytic mufller units, although other applications are within the scope of the invention.

At the present time there is a strong indication that the exhaust systems of motor vehicles will employ a catalytic unit for the purpose of reducing the amount of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in exhaust gases. It is contemplated by many that the catalyst material will be in the form of granules which in the course of use will be consumed so that at more or less regular intervals it will be necessary to refill the catalytic unit with the catalyst material.

It is the object of my invention to provide a means for filling catalytic containers through the use of a fluid feed apparatus. This apparatus is of such a nature that it can feed the catalyst to locations beneath an automobile or truck which might otherwise be practically inaccessible.

In accordance with my invention the catalyst will be supplied in soft metal or nonunetallic containers, similar to the containers in which engine oil is furnished to gas stations at the present time. I provide a gun construction which will receive the catalyst supply can and by means of pressure air, such as is available at every gas station, will cause the catalyst within the container to flow to the catalytic unit as desired.

Other objects and features of my invention will become apparent upon consideration of the drawings in which the figure is a longitudinal cross-section through a preferred form of catalyst filling device.

The catalyst gun of my invention comprises a housing 1 that may be a light metal casting which is provided with a barrel section having a chamber 3 which opens out of the top end 5 and a handle section 6. The chamber 3 is sized to suit the catalyst supply container 7 and has an annular shoulder 9 at the bottom edge on which the bottom of the container 7 will rest. The shoulder 9 is spaced from the top 5 by a distance somewhat less than the height of the container 7 so that the latter will project beyond the end of the housing 1. It is pressed against the shoulder 9 by a cover 11 which has a recess l3 that fits the top end of the container 7. The cover 11 is provided with a lip shaped to fit around the top edge of the chamber 1 and a face to press against gasket 15. The top 11 is held tightly against the gasket 15 and the can '7 by a combination hinge and toggle-type hold-down latch mechanism 17 of the type used on luggage.

The cap 11 has an aperture 1h for an outlet conduit through which catalyst in the can 7 will flow to the catalytic unit. The outlet conduit includes a can-piercing, tapered, tubular section 21 which has a flanged top section seated on a shoulder 23 in the top 11. A gasket is placed against the top of the flange and the flanged inner end of the outlet tube or fitting 25 is pressed against the gasket and the flange of the piercing section 21 by a gland nut 27 threaded into the top 11. Members 25 may be a fitting for attachment to any suitable conduit or may itself be of any suitable length and flexible, it being adapted to suit the anticipated conditions of use.

Air pressure from an air source 29 is utilized to carry the catalyst from the container 7 into the outlet line 25. The conduit 29 empties into an air passage 31 that is formed in the handle section 6 of the casing 1. At the "ice upper end of the passage 31 is a valve structure 33 which will regulate the air flowing past the valve seat 35. From the valve chamber 37 the air will flow by a rotary directional valve 39 into the passage 41 and from the passage 41 into a small chamber 43 which is in alignment with the chamber 3 containing the can 7. Also disposed in the chamber 43 is a pad 4-5 which is supported on a pressure rod 47 that can be utilized to manually apply sufficient force to cause a plurality of small, sharp-pointed, hollow, tubular jets 49 carried by the pad 45 to pierce the bottom end of the can 7 and enter the internal volume of the can 7. Thus, when air pressure is applied to the line 29, the valve 33 is open, and the valve 39 is arranged to permit flow into the chamber 43, the air passing through the jets 4-9 will pick up and carry granular catalyst material within the can 7 out through the conduit 25 to the point of application.

To blow out dead catalyst and to break up catalyst if it becomes clogged in the can or the outlet conduit, the rotary valve 39 may be turned so that the air will flow from the valve chamber 37 into the longitudinal passage 51. This passage opens out of the top 5 of the casing 1 and is aligned with a corresponding passage 53 in the cover 11. The passage 53 delivers air to a filter element 55 which lies in the path of air flowing into a horizontal passage 57. The spout 21 has an opening 59 that is aligned with the passage 57 so that air can reach the interlor of the outlet conduit.

In actual use, the handle section 6 of the casing l which houses the push rod 47 and the air passage 31 will serve as a hand grip whereby an operator can hold the unit manually. The valve 33 is a push-up type which is located so that it can be operated as a trigger and when it is released air pressure will cause the valve to close. The operator hinges open the head 11 on mechanism 17, inserts a can 7, closes the head and latches mechanism 17 which forces spout 21 to pierce the can 7, and rams the push rod 47 upwardly, if necessary, to cause the air jets 49 to penetrate the can. Thereafter, he can insert the end of tubing (not shown) attached to outlet 25 in the filler aperture in the catalyst unit, press the trigger 33, and air pressure flowing through the jets 49 will carry the catalyst entrained through the pipe 25 to the point of use. When the catalyst container or mufiler is mounted on an automobile and contains dead catalyst, this can be removed by means of the present unit by plugging the end of the tailpipe and opening the drain on the catalyst container and then turning valve 3% to blow air through passage 51 into the container, thus blowing out the dead catalyst. When this is all removed, the drain is closed, the tailpipe is unplugged, valve 39 turned back to the position shown, and catalyst blown to the unit. The unit, of course, contains suitable bailies so that the catalyst is separated out of the air stream and the air flows out through the tailpipe.

A preferred form of the invention has been illustrated but it will be obvious that modifications can be made in the specific structure that has been disclosed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, instead of using a can 7, the chamber 3 can be filled with bulk catalyst. More broadly, the method of this invention could be utilized to carry catalyst from other containers by entraining it in air flowing to the unit to be filled.

I claim:

1. A catalyst gun comprising a housing having a chamber for a catalyst catridge opening out of one end, means in the chamber forming a seat for one endof the cartridge, said seat being located so that when a cartridge is seated thereon a portion of the cartridge projects out of the housing, a cover for the housing having a recess to receive the projecting end of the cartridge, means for.

clamping the cover to the housing to hold the casing tightly on said seat means, a catalyst outlet means carried by said cover and including a means for penetrating an end of the cartridge in said chamber when the cover is attached to the housing, a member containing a pattern of hollow piercing elements located in said chamber in a position to engage multiple points on one end of the cartridge With the hollow members piercing and penetrating to the interior of the cartridge, and means for furnishing air under pressure to said hollow piercing members to entrain and carry catalyst pellets in the cartridge out of the outlet conduit. 7

2. The invention set forth in claim 1 ineludinga pad, said pad having means for applying a force to it to force it lengthwise of said chamber, said hollow piercing rnembets being carried by said pad, said air supplying means including a chamber located on one side of said pad for furnishing air to said hollow members.

References Qited by the Exmner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,14 ,574 8/15 Caspare "141 91X 1,307,908 6/19 Laverrnan 222-8315 1,959,862 5/34 Grisko 222-85 X Williams 222-82 Deschner 222-82 Kantor 141-92 Reinecke 222-189 Tear et al. 222-82 Hoffman 222-4 Dick 222-88 X McMahan -2 141-5 Carson et a1. Baresch 302-28 Smith. V Hayford 222-193 Colovos. I 5 Potter ZZZ-83.5 X Weinert ZZZ-835 x Pfening 302-28 Vogt 141-5 I FOREIGN PATENTS 399,761 10/33 Great Britain.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Primary Examiner. LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner. 

1. A CATALYST GUN COMPRISING A HOUSING HAVING A CHAMBER FOR A CATALYST CATRIDGE OPENING OUT OF ONE END, MEANS IN THE CHAMBER FORMING A SEAT FOR ONE END OF THE CARTRIDGE, SAID SEAT BEING LOCATED SO THAT WHEN A CARTRIDGE IS SEATED THEREON A PORTION OF THE CARTRIDGE PROJECTS OUT OF THE HOUSING, A COVER FOR THE HOUSING HAVING A RECESS TO RECEIVE THE PROJECTING END OF THE CARTRIDGE, MEANS FOR CLAMPING THE COVER TO THE HOUSING TO HOLD THE CASING TIGHTLY ON SAID SEAT MEANS, A CATALYST OUTLET MEANS CARRIED BY SAID COVER AND INCLUDING A MEANS FOR PENETRATING AN END OF THE CARTRIDGE IN SAID CHAMBER WHEN THE COVER IS ATTACHED TO THE HOUSING, A MEMBER CONTAINING A PATTERN OF HOLLOW PIERCING ELEMENTS LOCATED IN SAID CHAMBER IN A POSITION TO ENGAGE MULTIPLE POINTS ON ONE END OF THE CARTRIDGE WITH THE HOLLOW MEMBERS PIERCING AND PENETRATING TO THE INTERIOR OF THE CARTRIDGE, AND MEANS FOR FURNISHING AIR UNDER PRESSURE TO SAID HOLLOW PIERCING MEMBERS TO 